The judges awarded 21 gold medals, 48 silver and 129 bronze medals from a record 335 entries.

Chief steward Will Rickard-Bell said there had been an overall jump in quality on the back of two years of strong vintages.

“The judges in all their comments said Orange chardonnay was the next cult wine – they said they were world class,” he said.

Colmar Estate was the most decorated vineyard, with three category wins in the other white, riesling and chardonnay sections.

Its 2015 chardonnay then went on to win the best white wine of show and best wine of show prizes.

Mr Rickard-Bell said rieslings also performed well, justifying the decision to give the category its own trophy this year, while sauvignon blancs were not as strong.

With Hunter Valley-based Gartelmann Wines taking out two awards for its shiraz using Orange grapes, Mr Rickard-Bell it was good promotion for the region.

“There’s almost as much fruit going to other regions like the Southern Highlands and the Hunter Valley as what’s held here,” he said.